Daily Meditation: Sunday, February 25, 2018

Vestals, the - symbolic meaning of this institution

02/25/2018

In ancient Rome, the priestesses of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, were responsible for keeping the sacred fire burning day and night. But why keep a fire burning? We no longer live in prehistoric times, and if it goes out we can light it again. In reality, the fire maintained by the Vestals was a symbol of the inner flame which human beings must never allow to die. The Vestals, who were virgins, represented the divine Mother in her purest aspect, purity being a requirement for fire and light. The presence of the divine Mother is essential if we are to keep the fire burning – the sacred fire of love. All humans must become virgins in their souls, attracting and maintaining this fire, so that the masculine principle within them – spirit – can use it in order to create. For fire is at the origin of all creation. From the preparation of the simplest meal to the launching of a spacecraft, fire is indispensable. And it is all the more so for spiritual life.